According to a recent report from In-Stat, the availability of free Wi-Fi service significantly contributes to the websites we will end up visiting.

The report noted that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said the availability of free Wi-Fi influences their choice of destinations, while 31% of those surveyed said free Wi-Fi “may influence” their decision. Only 5% said the availability of free Internet access would have no impact on their decision. Read more of this post

As more and more local coffee shops opening up in town with much better coffee including Filter I just covered today, Starbucks has been certainly feeling the heat. The company is keep coming up with the new innovative ways to attract more customers. They are now adding a new flavor to its mobile payments strategy by launching a free BlackBerry app that lets you to use the devices to buy coffee in stores via barcode scan. Starbucks introduced the same kind of app for iPhone and iPod touch a year ago.

Thanks to all the Government contracting, given the large number of Blackberry users in DC area, I would say this is a good move by StarBucks. Although, I still feel sorry for the people who end up having the Starbucks coffee though. Read more of this post

Thanks you all for participating in our Awesome Washingtonians program. A lot is happening! As I am sure you have already noticed you are now getting a better sense of what your friends, colleagues, family members and total strangers are thinking of you.

To reward your effort, here is an idea that hit me over a nice glass of Shiraz wine last night with a few friends🙂

Given the current state of economy and thanks to the geeks of the world, here is the list of things you shouldn’t be paying for:

Basic Computer Software — Thinking of purchasing a new computer? Think twice before you fork over the funds for a bunch of extra software. There are some great alternatives to the name brand software programs. The most notable is OpenOffice, the open-source alternative to those other guys. It’s completely free and files can be exported in compatible formats. Read more of this post

On top of this great News, Skype also announced their iPhone app new multitasking feature that allows you to surf the internet while talking on the phone via their VoIP.

Those of you not familiar with the background story, after much ado with the whole business of placing Skype calls on the iPhone over 3G, Skype upgraded their application for the iPhone in May to allow calls over 3G. They then also announced that in August 2010, they will place additional charges for Skype calls over 3G. That freaked many people out, because it would challenge the concept of free Skype-to-Skype calls.

More importantly, they announced that they are dropping the plan of charging additional cents for calls over 3G. This is likely to be a cautious trackback after much anger displayed by users. Read more of this post

Hulu, the video portal joint venture between News Corp., NBC Universal and Disney launched a preview of Hulu Plus, a $9.99-per-month subscription service that will offer full current seasons of TV programs from ABC, Fox and NBC across a range of devices – but is it worth paying a monthly fee?

For $9.99 per month, you’ll get entire series and seasons in high definition, whereas most shows have up to this point only been available a few episodes at a time in standard definition. You’ll also have the option of streaming those episodes on a bunch of new devices, including the iPhone, iPad, PlayStation 3 and select Samsung TVs and Blu)-ray players – and, possibly more later. Read more of this post

Sadly, with an estimated one in 20 adults in DC now infected with HIV, several organizations are launching a new effort to get more people tested to prevent the disease from spreading.

The groups are offering free tests as part of Get Yourself Tested Week, leading up to National HIV Testing Day on Sunday, June 27.

Throughout the week, and weekend, anyone can have the free HIV test.

Get Yourself Tested Week is hosted in ten major cities, including DC. Sponsoring organizations range from the Centers for Disease Control to MTV, and include the Kaiser Foundation and Planned Parenthood. Read more of this post